Adrian beamed at me anyways, his smile too big and too natural for someone who’d just stuck a needle in my arm. He looked genuinely happy, like he’d accomplished something important.
Evander leaned forward slightly, watching Adrian pack the supplies back into the medical bag. “How’d you two get together?” He asked, curiosity warm in his voice.
Adrian laughed under his breath, glancing up at Moore with fondness that softened his whole face. Moore didn’t look up from the vials he was labeling, but the corner of his mouth twitched like he already knew the story.
And for a moment, the room felt light, like I was sitting among people who actually liked each other.
Adrian finished packing the last vial into the medical bag, then plopped down onto the edge of the coffee table like he was settling in for a gossip session with a friend.
“Well,” he said, brushing his hands off dramatically, “since you asked, our origin story is actually pretty cute.”
Moore let out a quiet sigh. “Adrian.”
“What?” Adrian shot back with a grin. “Itiscute.”
He turned back to me, eyes bright. “So, as you gathered, I’m from Lockswell, too.” I nodded once. “I was one of the lucky ones. Didn’t get hurt or taken advantage of all that much. Mostly just…ignored. Which honestly was fine with me. I’ve always been a little too loud for their tasks.”
Moore mouth twitch like he agreed but otherwise didn’t interrupt.
“Anyways,” Adrian continued. “Moore here was a client. Came in all serious and broody- “
“I was not broody,” Moore muttered.
“-And instantly was swooned by my big personality,” Adrain smiled at me again. “Couldn’t resist me.”
Moore cleared his throat, but the faint pink at the tips of his ears gave him away.
The other Omega leaned closer, lowering his voice like he was sharing a secret. “He kept coming back. Not for anything…you know…. Just to talk. To check on me. To make sure I was eating. He’d bring me snacks.”
“You were too thin,” Moore huffed.
“And you were too sweet,” Adrian shot back. “Anyways, one day he just…took me out of there. Walked me right out the front door like he owned the place.”
Moore corrected gently. “I filed the paperwork. Legally.”
He smiled at me, warm and bright. “And now we get to help people like you. Which is my favorite part.”
Evander’s hand brushed my shoulder.
“What if we…don’t want help?” I asked, eyes flashing towards Evander.
“Some don’t, but we still offer it no matter what. And having a great supportive Alpha by your side helps the most. That’s what matters.”
“Shall we take a look at your back so we can get out your hair?”
Chapter 32
Evander
The shift in Kasey was subtle at first, too subtle for me, apparently. I’d debated on giving him another mild antianxiety pill before Moore and Adrian arrived, and now I was regretting not trusting my instincts. The moment Moore mentioned checking his back, something in Kasey’s postures tightened.
His shoulders curled inward; his breathing went thin, and his eyes unfocused, drifting somewhere far away.
I didn’t catch it fast enough.
Adrian did.
The Omega moved before I processed what was happening, sliding into Kasey’s line of sight with that soft bright smile he used like a lifeline.
